My IELTS Experience and Tips!

School and major: graduated from the Department of International Business Studies, National Chi Nan University

Scores: L7.5, R 7, W 6.5, S 5.5, overall 6.5

Test date: 2025/08/09

[Tips & Preparation for Each Section]

[Listening]

In the listening course, teacher 歐文 (Ouwen) had us memorize a mantra: "scan the questions," "swap the words" and "guess the answer." I used to panic whenever I fell behind the recording, and then I would miss important information that came after. The teacher reminded us to use the gaps between questions to scan quickly and guess what type of answer to expect (a number, a place, a proper noun and so on), so I had a clearer sense of direction once the recording played. This method greatly reduced my nerves and noticeably improved how fast I caught keywords and how many answers I got right. The Wordgod (字神) handouts compile common listening trap question types and words in different national accents. They are more systematic than the books on the market, so you can spot the question patterns at a glance, which saved me a lot of time I would have spent figuring things out myself.

[Reading]

For reading, I mostly drilled large numbers of questions from the 雅思哥 (Yasi Ge) question bank to build my vocabulary and reading speed, while teacher 田哲 (Tian Zhe)'s classes gave me many useful test-taking techniques. What stuck with me most was the repeated emphasis on "locating techniques" and "practice by question type." I used to read word by word and often ran out of time before finishing all the questions. After the classes, I learned to decide by question type whether to scan or skim a passage, use keywords to quickly find the part of the text with the answer, and then compare word meanings more closely, so I would not fall into time traps.

[Writing]

In writing, my biggest takeaway was the "high-scoring sentence patterns and argument-extension templates" from teacher 派 (Pai). My essays used to lose points for repetitive wording and arguments that were not deep enough. With the framework the teacher designed, I learned how to develop paragraphs quickly in Task 2 and avoid repetition with linking words and synonyms. Another especially useful resource was the teacher's "high-scoring model essays." Compared with the typical model essays online, they are grouped by writing prompt, and besides showing excellent essays, they gave me clear structures and arguments, so I knew how to apply them in my own writing practice. That makes them more practical for students.

[Speaking]

Speaking was my weakest section. The "answer structure" teacher 田哲 (Tian Zhe) taught helped me a lot. I used to give answers that were too short and get stuck on words, but now I know how to expand along "background → reason → example → personal view," which makes my answers more natural and fuller. After class I also took mock speaking tests, where the teacher corrected me on the spot during practice and pointed out my grammar or pronunciation mistakes. It was more efficient than practicing on my own and helped me adapt to the pressure of the real test.

[Study Plan]

I was studying for the test full-time and had given myself a deadline to take it right after 3 months, so I went to the library five days a week and studied 8 hours a day to push hard. Wordgod (字神)'s online courses also gave me more flexibility in scheduling.

[Test Center Report]

I took the paper-based IELTS this time. The listening equipment was clear and at a comfortable volume, and the invigilators did not disturb us at all during the test.

[Words of Encouragement for Other Test Takers]

I think English is a subject where the work you put into memorizing pays off in points. As long as you practice a lot and keep moving forward, you will get a great score! Believe in yourself!

[Score Report]